Gran Mambo for 2 flutes and Orchestra

I wanted to pay homage to several musicians who contributed, on one hand, to the development of the flute and, on the other, to the evolution of the Mambo, turning it into one of the more widespread Latin American musical genres. First, the tile of the piece is a homage to Theobald Böhme, who not only designed the mechanism of the modern flute but also wrote gems of the flute repertoire, such as the “Grand Polonaise Op. 16”. The piece is divided into three sections to be played continuously. Each part is a tribute to an artist key to the evolution of the Mambo through the history of this music style.

The first piece labelled as Mambo was recorded in Cuba by a group called Acaño y sus Maravillas, led by a flutist Antonio Arcaño, to whom the first section makes homage. This piece was commissioned by the internationally celebrated Mexican flutist Elena Durán. Therefore, I chose the Mambo as the core of this piece. This music style gained enormous popularity in Mexico in the 1950s to later become an international phenomenon thanks to pianist and composer Perez Prado, to whom the second section of the piece pays tribute. Even though he was born in Cuba, he obtained Mexican citizenship and even died in Mexico.

Later, in the 1960s, percussionist and composer Tito Puente became "Mambo King," giving this already world-famous music style a jazzy turn. He was celebrated around the world and even appeared on an episode of "The Simpsons." The third section of this piece pays tribute to his ingenious and creative approach to the Mambo, consolidating it as the king of Latin-American music styles.